System to separate frozen-thawed spermatozoa into x-chromosome bearing and y-chromosome bearing populations

Abstract

Devices, compositions, and methods for handling, separating, packaging, and utilization of spermatozoa (1) that can be derived from previously frozen sperm samples collected from a male mammal. Specifically, techniques to uniformity stain (2) spermatozoal DNA even when derived from previously frozen sperm and separation techniques to separate and isolate spermatozoa even when derived from previously frozen sperm samples into X-chromosome bearing and Y-chromosome bearing populations having high purity.

Description

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 253,787, filed Nov. 29, 2000 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 253,785, filed Nov. 29, 2000, each hereby incorporated by reference herein.I. TECHNICAL FEILD[0002] The invention involves the substantially uniform binding of fluorochrome(s) to the DNA within mammalian spermatozoa (or sperm cells) allowing such labeled spermatozoa to be separated into high purity X-chromosome bearing and Y-chromosome bearing populations. Specifically, methods for the substantially uniform binding of fluorochrome(s) to the DNA of mammalian spermatozoa contained within previously frozen and then thawed semen. In addition, the invention further involves devices, methods, and compositions for the use of high purity separated X-chromosome bearing and Y-chromosome bearing populations of spermatozoa from previously frozen-thawed semen in processes involving, but not limited to, artificial insemination, surgic...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010] A broad object of embodiments of the invention can be to provide DNA staining technology that allows substantially uniform amounts of fluorochrome to be bound to the DNA of all individual spermatozoa bearing an X-chromosome and substantially uniform amounts of fluorochrome to be bound to all individual spermatozoa bearing a Y-chromosome within an amount of semen.

[0011] One aspect of this broad object of the invention can be to narrow the range in magnitude of emitted fluorescence for each of the X-chromosome bearing population and the Y-chromosome bearing population of spermatozoa upon passing through a fluorochrome excitation source.

[0012] Another aspect of this broad object of the invention can be to increase the difference between the mean values of magnitude of emitted fluorescence for each of the X-chromosome bearing population and the Y-chromosome bearing population of spermatozoa upon passing through a fluorochrome excitation source.

[0013] Another aspect of this broad object of the invention can be to decrease the number of spermatozoa incorrectly assigned to each of the X-chromosome bearing population and the Y-chromosome bearing population of spermatozoa.

[0017] Another object of embodiments of the invention can be to provide DNA staining technology to more uniformly stain the DNA of spermatozoa contained in frozen-thawed semen to improve the apparent resolution between X-chromosome bearing and Y-chromosome bearing spermatozoa.

Problems solved by technology

Even though X-chromosome bearing spermatozoa and Y-chromosome bearing spermatozoa have been differentiated by and separated based upon the difference in emitted fluorescence for many years, and even though there is large commercial market for isolated populations of X-chromosome bearing spermatozoa and Y-chromosome bearing spermatozoa, there remain significant problems yet to be resolved.

A significant problem with conventional methods of separating X-chromosome bearing spermatozoa from Y-chromosome bearing spermatozoa can be that each resulting population contains a significant number of incorrectly separated spermatozoa that belong in the other population.

This problem in differentiating between spermatozoa can, in part, be attributed to the lack of uniformity in the amount of fluorochrome bound to the spermatozoal DNA.

When these ranges in the amount of fluorochrome overlap or yield some values that are similar, it can be difficult or impossible to classify those individual spermatozoa to one population or the other with any degree of certainty and cross contamination of the populations can occur.

Another significant problem associated with staining of spermatozoal DNA can be the detrimental effects on fertilization rates and subsequent embryonic development of fertilized oocyte(s) (oocyte, ootid, or ovum, or a plurality of same, as may be appropriate within a specific application).

One aspect of this problem may be that the amount of stain bound to the DNA may effect the viability of the spermatozoa resulting in lower fertilization rates.

Another aspect of this problem can be that the amount of time that elapses during the staining of the DNA may effect the viability of the sperm resulting in lower fertilization rates.

Another aspect of this problem may be that the amount of time that elapses during staining of the DNA may lower subsequent cleavage rates of oocytes fertilized with such stained spermatozoa.

Another significant problem may be that cryopreserved sperm may demostrate increased capacitation, and the length of time such spermatozoa are viable may be shortened.

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